Strings 'n Vocals
Great balance of instruments in the beginning.
I can understand every word on the first listen.
But at some points there is a little ghost tickling me ... that maybe just maybe ... I might have to struggle at some point to understand the lyrics. That irks me in a lyrically driven song, where the vocal is so outstandingly performed, but IMHO, it's not 'standing out' enough.
A cello in the intro with low long sustained notes could work well. and then out at the entrance of the verse at 00:16.
A low cello walkdown at 00:57 with the guitar would be effective, just a few notes there, as that figure in the guitar appears a second time, for contrast.
Very nice harmony vocals.
There's room for some of the same with the violins two octaves up, when that 'walkdown' figure repeats itself later, for contrast.
I like the drums, but they are to loud.
The texture at 2:15 is thinner and more mid-treble, that's where the walkdown with a violin section would work well for contrast to the cello before. Instead of rounding it down with low cello support, emphasise that it is a thinner more treblely section, with the violins walking down ... or walking up in harmony.
Then maybe, maybe ... cellos and violins together on that figure later for some finality and structure to this 'hooking fill' walkdown with the use of strings in the piece.
The strings should be mixed as the element furthest back in the mix. Just for color, warmth, body. Yes, we should struggle to hear exactly what the strings are doing, very unlike the approach to the vocal, because 'what the strings do' is unimportant, what 'they are', color, warmth, depth ... that is IMHO what strings should be in this piece of music.
Right on the punch at 3:15, low, long, cello tones can accompany, starting right on the drum punch at 3:15 and continuing, creating bottom end harmony support for the harmony vocals ...
just mellow, gentle, long cello notes to support all the way through to near the end and stopping just before 4:00 to completely expose that last bit of vocal.
Very nice piece of music, pretty song, very fine vocal performance. I'd like to hear the vocal come out a bit, perhaps less compressed, because your natural singing is fairly compressed.
...sorry